Noxious Daily News Cartoon

The NY Daily News, continuing its ongoing assault on Pedro Espada, published the following Bramhall cartoon that labeled the state senator-without the benefit of even a trial-a common thief. So, Mort Zuckerman, the well known South Bronx health provider, is charging that a clinic-actually five clinics-owned and operated by Espada for thirty years, is simply a cash cow to be milked for the senator's personal benefit? By what right does this bit of defamation get published?

And, as the editorial page goes on in this manner the greater felon, as it were, our own mayor, is allowed to get away with a corruption of the political process that apparently knows no bounds. The story, ironically perhaps, deals with Bloomberg's purchase of the Independence Party and can be found on the Daily Politics blog that thankfully doesn't drip with the same editorial bias.

As DP tells us: "At the height of the fall campaigns, Mayor Bloomberg quietly contributed an eye-popping $1.2 million to the state Independence Party, according to the party's Jan. 15 campaign finance filing. Bloomberg cut the party's housekeeping committee, for which contribution limits do not apply, two $600,000 checks from his personal account - one on Oct. 30 and the other on Nov. 2 (the day before the general elections).Taken together, the two contributions are the largest donation recorded by the board since it started keeping electronic records in 1999 that wasn't from a self-funded candidate to his own campaign."

This apparently isn't any kind of big deal to Morticia-what's a little subornation among friends, after all? Which underscores the hypocrisy and misdirection that lives in the editorial precincts of the tabloids today. Keep a close eye on Espada and Monseratte-or good old Charlie Rangel-while Mike Bloomberg buys off, not only the electorate, but every special interest that is eager to be placed in a dog collar.

Not only that, but cheer while he overturns two city wide referendums, so that the citizenry can benefit from an economic acumen that has left the city with an unemployment rate of 10.6%-its worst in over 17 years! And don't forget to ignore the national school tests in order to lionize the mayor's educational charade as revolutionary.

And while you're at it Mort, keep a close eye on the bumbling governor, but not on the guy in the city who, over eight years, has spent us into an untenable budget situation while making the city the most expensive place to live and do business in. We guess when it comes to a classmate, mum's the word.

Remarkable malfeasance at work here. How about unleashing the investigative talents of Barbara Ross on the Sharpton-Klein alliance? Or how about digging in to the mayor's philanthropic portfolio to discover who's on the Bloomberg retainer? Or, if you can't do that, how about graciously shutting up?